Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Diasciaxc3x97hybrida cultivar Icepole.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Diascia plant, botanically known as Diasciaxc3x97hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Icepole.
The new Diascia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Appleby, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Diascias with good plant vigor and numerous flowers with attractive coloration.
The new Diascia originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1996 of a proprietary selection of Diasciaxc3x97hybridaidentified as code number 96L2, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with the Diasciaxc3x97hybrida cultivar Ice Cracker, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Diascia was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny by the Inventor in 1997, in Appleby, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, United Kingdom on the basis of its plant habit and attractive flower color.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings taken in Appleby, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, United Kingdom since 1997 has shown that the unique features of this new Diascia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Icepole have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Icepolexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Icepolexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Diascia cultivar:
1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit.
3. Freely and continuous flowering habit.
4. White-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Diascia are most similar to plants of the parent selection and cultivar. Plants of the new Diascia differ from plants of the parent selection and cultivar primarily in flower color as flower color of plants of the new Diascia is more intense. In addition, plants of the new Diascia have a more uniform plant habit than plants of the parent selection and cultivar.